Comparison of line-field confocal optical coherence tomography images with histological sections: Validation of a new method for in vivo and non-invasive quantification of superficial dermis thickness.

Line-field confocal optical coherence tomography (LC-OCT) is an imaging technique providing "optical biopsies" of the skin in real time and non-invasively. At a center optical wavelength of 1.3 µm, this innovative technology can be applied to dermo-cosmetic product development due to both high image resolution (~2 µm) and sufficient penetration (~0.5 mm). Nevertheless, the precise dermal area analyzed with LC-OCT has never been identified. In this study, the objective was to compare LC-OCT images with histological sections of the same area, in order to validate a new method for in vivo and non-invasive quantification of superficial dermis thickness. Once validated, this standardized and quantitative method was used to assess age-related changes of the superficial dermis. Ex vivo LC-OCT acquisitions and hematoxylin-eosin-safran staining were performed on a panel of four healthy Caucasian female volunteers. In vivo LC-OCT study of skin aging was performed on a panel of 37 healthy Caucasian female divided into five different age-groups. Comparison with histological sections revealed that LC-OCT images allow the visualization and the quantification of the superficial portion of papillary dermis. Applied to different age-group of volunteers, LC-OCT images show a constant decrease in this superficial dermis thickness with age. In conclusion, we have introduced LC-OCT as a novel technique for in vivo and non-invasive evaluation of superficial dermis thickness. This approach could be used in the future to demonstrate visually and quantitatively the capacity of a dermo-cosmetic active ingredient to renormalize the structural properties of the dermis. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Citation

Mélanie Pedrazzani, Josselin Breugnot, Pauline Rouaud-Tinguely, Maxime Cazalas, Arthur Davis, Sylvie Bordes, Arnaud Dubois, Brigitte Closs. Comparison of line-field confocal optical coherence tomography images with histological sections: Validation of a new method for in vivo and non-invasive quantification of superficial dermis thickness. Skin research and technology : official journal of International Society for Bioengineering and the Skin (ISBS) [and] International Society for Digital Imaging of Skin (ISDIS) [and] International Society for Skin Imaging (ISSI). 2020 May;26(3):398-404

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PMID: 31799766

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